Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Crystalline
Episode Fourteen: Oushiza, the Bull
Out in the world, the sun nearly gone, his grandmother spoke up. "Kitei, my boy, is this the girl you've been going on about?"
Hirome found herself the unwanted center of attention from big, dark brown eyes revealed behind the overlarge glasses. Hirome did her best to be very polite but it was difficult with the woman only two inches from her face.
"Hi."
"You have very bright eyes, very intelligent. Not like all those other girls, Kitei. You actually found someone of worth."
Hirome turned red as Kitei held his head.
"You, my dear, seem quite nice. I am Kouheino Emi, Kitei's maternal grandmother. When his parents travel, I take care of the boy.. Though nowadays, it's a bit reversed. These bones aren't the same as they used to be."
"Don't talk like that, Grandma."
"Oh, I'll be around for a long time still," She scoffed at him. She softened then. "But I do look forward to be reuniting with my dear husband."
The two family members lowered their heads as the grandmother spoke with warmth. "Rest his spirit in peace."
"And you are?" She then quipped at Kougetsu-papa.
"Oh.. Umm, Kouheino-obaasan," Hirome bowed deeply. "This is my father, Kougetsu Yoshio."
"Hello, Kouheino-san."
"And where is the lovely wife?" Kouheino-obaasan asked brightly.
"Grandma, I told you already," Kitei said softly.
Instantly the older woman turned red. "I.. I'm so sorry, this old mind.. Sometimes things slip. I meant no disrespect."
"None taken."
"Well, it's time to head home. Kitei needs to prepare for his coming college and finishing his current school, hopefully with higher grades," She added pointedly.
"I'm in the top percentile, Grandma. And I play sports. I'm doing fine!"
"Nonetheless, you can do better!" She grabbed an ear. "Say goodbye to your pretty girlfriend, grandson."
"Bye and thanks for today," Kitei managed. "I'll call you.. Maybe.. Or just see you in school tomorrow.. Please let go of my ear, Grandma!"
Hirome didn't get that call but did see him the next day. He winced at the bruises. "You have a few cuts.. Here.. And here.." He emphasized each one with a poke of his finger. "And let's not forget that one on the forehead.."
"Stop that!" She whacked his hand away. "So rude!"
"Yea, yea," He held the door open. "Got here a little early, didn't you?"
"In case there were problems. I'm tired of being picked on."
She reached her cubby and opened it. Mud oozed out as she looked at her half-buried shoes.
"I don't think they've stopped."
"I can't take this anymore!" Hirome shouted, slamming the door.
The homeroom teacher appeared, frowning. "You two are here a little early. Sports practice?"
"Maybe him…"
"Is.. Is that mud coming out of your cubby, Kougetsu-san?" The teacher looked surprised then it hit her. "Oh, dear, the other girls have been bothering you lately. Why haven't you said a word?"
"I don't want to be a tattletale.. But it's so frustrating! Especially since yesterday came to such a terrible time."
"Oh, yes, I had heard of that. That girl has been taken out of school and sent to a rather religious one, from what I heard. I'm going to guess this is the work of her friends."
"No doubt.." Hirome reopened the door and retrieved her shoes. "I need to wash them out.."
"I'll see what I can do about the bullying. It's not something we would ever tolerate. You are always free to ask for help, Kougetsu-san. No one is alone in this life."
Hirome looked surprised at that as the teacher left.
"What?" Kitei asked.
"Oh, nothing.." Her mind reflected on those words. 'No one is alone in this life.'
She suddenly thought of Usagi and frantically buried her thoughts away. 'No! I won't be giving in so easily! She got many chances and she screwed up royally!'
"Your face is so red, your lips are all pinched and eyelid is twitching.. What's going on?"
"Nothing!"
It was a long day for Hirome, though Karin was now apparently booted from school, her friends on the other hand weren't. Which meant a lot more trouble. Hirome tried to ignore the squawking girls but they were rather loud and obnoxious.
"You don't know how badly I want to transform and destroy them," Hirome hissed, low and venomously as Kitei slowly inched away from the furious girl. "Just once, to get them to SHUT THE HELL UP!"
Kitei patted her head and froze at her stare. "What? I can't comfort you?"
"Like a child? Do I LOOK like an infant to you?"
Kitei followed her with a roll of his eyes. "No, of course not. Not like you're sounding like one, anyways.."
"What was that?" Hirome spun as Kitei smiled weakly and shook his head. "That's what I thought."
"I liked you better when you were shy."
"Now you're just lying."
"So what if I am! Still, it wouldn't hurt to be a little more shy. It's adorable, really. Trying to be all polite and sweet.. You know, not loud and violent."
The two were walking as they were approaching the bus. "Can always walk home. It's not too far, just like an hour's walk."
Hirome looked to Kitei and turned a little pink. "Sure, why not."
Kitei inched closer and took her hand gingerly. "And you know, hold hands." His own face was red.
"Awww, that is so adorable!"
"Grrr…"
"Down, Hirome, down," Kitei told his girlfriend before looking to Minako. "What's so adorable?"
"Hand holding! So romantic and sweet!" Minako grinned. "Hey, hey, guys, over here! It's Hirome!"
"No, please, for the love of…"
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Theia," Rei quipped. "What.. What happened to you?"
"What?"
"Oh geez!" Usagi was up front and worried. "You're all bruised and cut up!"
"She got in a fight with my ex-girlfriend. Apparently it was awesome."
"It wasn't awesome, you jerk!"
"Why'd you get into a fight?" Rei asked skeptically.
"I don't fight usually but I had just witnessed the police arrest Kitei for supposedly raping his ex-girlfriend."
All of them save Hirome looked at Kitei in shock.
"He didn't do it! Oh my god, really? If a guy wants sex, it's automatically rape? What do you call it when a girl wants to have sex? Playing with herself!?"
Kitei opened his mouth and then shut it. He mumbled something and turned around the corner into the arcade hurriedly. In seconds, the air was filled with uproarious laughter that eventually died out about five minutes into it.
He reappeared and grinned at the embarrassed girl. "I take it back, so don't give me the shy and polite version. This one is much more entertaining."
"Soo.. Uh.." Rei began, the only one able to think coherently. Makoto and Minako were red in the face, wanting to laugh. Usagi was utterly confused and poor Ami was so withdrawn, it would take a rock to crack her barrier. "Anyways.. Um.. Have you calmed down a bit?"
"Hell no! Not until I believe that this…" She pointed to Usagi. "Has learned that she's not the center of the universe and shouldn't act like she's the victim! If you haven't noticed, I'm the one that's being targeted!"
"Any more problems?" Makoto asked then.
Hirome shrugged. "No, not really. I don't understand it. I get attacked then a lull of peace. I get attacked, another lull of peace.. I'm assuming the attack will come at any day now."
"You can't be serious?" Rei muttered.
"No, I totally am. In fact…" Hirome began.
There was another new yet oddly familiar thud nearby, like something dropping from space to crash into the ground.
Instead of a sheep, it was a massive bull, its curved, dangerously sharp, gorging horns quite visible and quite frightening.
"Well, what do you know?" Hirome smirked at Rei who glared at her.
"Why are you smirking when we should be running?" Kitei hissed in her ear.
"That's probably be beneficial," Hirome admitted as everyone scattered. "Theia Helical Power, Make Up!"
As she finished her transformation, she found her attention focused on Kitei. "WHAT?!"
"You transform naked! You're so going to haunt my dreams.."
"Shimmering Golden Arch!"
"STILL WORTH IT!" He shouted as he ran away the swiping boomerang.
There was a roar as all the windows nearby shattered, from the building to vehicles.
"So much damage," Sailor Theia muttered as she ran to face off against bull.
"Do you like my pets?" Aion landed next to the bull with a sneer. Next to it, the man was clearly dwarfed by the massive bull. "Meet Oushiza."
"A.. a constellation?" Sailor Theia asked in surprise. "Hey.. How can you do that?"
"When I can control time, I can make a lot of wonderful things. Now, if you want to live and for your allies to live, I suggest you give me what I want."
"What I don't understand why you just don't outright attack me, are you a chicken?"
"It seems that there is much more than a single powerful star but two," He quipped. He turned to the bull and spoke to it roughly as it roared, up heaving from the ground with a snarl. He disappeared just like as Sailor Theia raised her voice.
"You are so a chicken! Coward!" She turned to the bull who had lowered his head, the horns directly toward her. "Well, crap."
Her hands lit on fire as she shouted. "Celestial Burn!" The flames flew around her and forward as the bull charged. She managed to the side as the flames ate around the bull who screamed in rage.
"Burning Mandala!" Sailor Mars' fire added to Sailor Theia's as the bull hit the side of a building, becoming momentarily confused.
"Now, Sailor.." Sailor Mars began only to take off running as the bull targeted her. It was a fluke, however, as it turned a ninety degree angle right at Sailor Theia. "Hey!"
"That's it, I'm going to cook you from the outside in!" Sailor Theia reared. "Surging Blaze!"
Her hands cupped as a small pit of fire started that then blazed out. The flames did no damage to Sailor Theia as she took aim and threw it like a baseball.
Only to have it hit the side of the building as she winced.
"You suck!" Came Kitei's voice as Sailor Theia vowed revenge.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" The barrage of water hit the bull as it was pinned under the heavy pressure.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Lightning added to the water and intensified the attack.
Sailor Theia made to attack when someone spoke behind her. "I wouldn't if I were you.."
She turned, the male voice eerily family as she stared down the street. She heard Sailor Moon's attack. "Moon Princess Halation!"
Sailor Theia started to turn only to see sparkling from a roof. She looked up to see a young man standing there, silently staring at her. The way the sun hit him, it seemed as if his shoulders were on fire. The sparkling came from a couple of things at his hip. A metal chain and something much smaller that she couldn't describe.
"Who the Hell is that?" She asked out loud.
"Sailor Theia!" Sailor Moon reached her side with a pant. "You all right?"
"I'm fine."
"What made you stop?" Sailor Venus butted in. "You were all set to attack."
"I.. I don't know.." She bit her lip. "I have to go home.. No, Kitei, you can't come because you're a big ass!"
"I was just joking, honey!"
"Don't try to sweet talk me!" He followed her as she reformed back into Hirome as the two disappeared quickly.
The group looked around the street and the heavy damages. "Probably should leave before we get arrested," Sailor Venus muttered.
"I agree," Sailor Jupiter hurried after Sailor Venus as the group reformed into their civilian forms.
They turned into a street and stopped. Usagi's eyes grew big with surprise and tears.
"…Chibiusa?"